John Jess has been valuing properties in Gippsland, Vic, since 1982 and says wind turbines are having a significant impact on values for both farmland and residential property.

Having conducted valuations for a panel hearing on proposed wind farms, Mr Jess said farming properties appear to drop 10-15 pc near turbines.

There is stronger evidence to suggest rural-residential values drop by 30-40pc near win turbines.

"A place with a few acres and a nice coastal view worth $350,000 may now be worth $250,000 if it is close to turbines and there is ample evidence to suggest this sort of impact is occurring."

While Gippsland is only home to two relatively small windfarms at Wonthaggi and Toora, Mr Jess said the owner of the latter had bought up to six adjoining properties and in some cases demolished the houses on them.

"It just wrecks communities," he said.

Mr Jess has questioned the value of windfarms given each 100 metre turbine produces about 0.7 megawatts per day and the July peak this year showed Victoria, NSW, South Australia and Queensland used 32,000 megawatts on that day according to the national electricity operator NEMMCO.

"We need thousands of turbines just to make a difference," he said.

"This industry is being subsidised heavily and at what cost to communities?"

Mr Jess said the property market affected by wind turbines in the east of Victoria is different from that in Vic's west.

In the west, it is farming land that is affected by wind turbines, rather than the coastal, rural-residential properties common to Gippsland.